Barkley: 'I'm not going to beg coaches' for more reps

Wednesday

Playing in the NFL for the Eagles in Chip Kelly’s uptempo offense are all new experiences for the confident rookie from Southern Cal.

And so is not being the starting quarterback.

Barkley continues to direct the third-team offense during organized team activities (OTAs) at the NovaCare Complex. Veteran Michael Vick took 14 snaps with the starters during Tuesday’s drills, with second-year QB Nick Foles getting the other eight.

Since Barkley began playing competitive football at the age of 10, he has always been the starter and earned the bulk of the first-team reps.

“I’m not going to be a little kid and beg the coaches for something more than what they’re giving me,” said Barkley after Tuesday’s workout. “You just do the best with what you’re given (and) give them every reason to put you out on the field.”

Now 22, Barkley started all four years at USC, where he established 10 Pac-12 records (including career passing yardage with 12,327 and touchdowns with 116). He also started all four seasons in high school at famed Mater Dei in Santa Ana, Calif.

The Eagles traded up to select Barkley with the first pick in the fourth round of April’s NFL Draft.

When he’s not directly involved during Eagles offseason workouts, Barkley said he mentally goes through the play and does the footwork in his head to make sure he’s got it down.

The coaches have been impressed with what they’ve seen from Barkley, a 6-foot-2, 220-pounder who regularly arrives at the NovaCare Complex at 6 a.m. to watch tape.

“Matt’s done a great job,” said Kelly on Tuesday. “He’s a real student of the game (and) does a great job of grasping concepts and understanding what we’re trying to do and not just what the receivers are running for routes.”

“He came highly recommended by people out (at USC),” quarterbacks coach Bill Lazor said last week. “I don’t think there’s been a lot of surprises. I think he’s lived up to what we thought. That’s why we were surprised he was there (in the fourth round).”

While Barkley tends to deliver the ball well on shorter routes and is usually accurate throwing on the run, critics continue to wonder about Barkley’s arm strength — specifically, his ability to get the ball deep downfield. That he separated his shoulder from a hit in a Nov. 17 loss to crosstown rival UCLA only added to the questions, though Barkley blanches at the idea.

“I don’t listen to it,” Barkley said. “It was never a point where ‘I’ve got to prove people wrong.’ I know if I performed like I always did, I’d be fine. I know who I am.”

Barkley remains a work in progress beyond 35 yards. The tight spirals on mid-range passes tend to be replaced by balls that wobble and aren’t always on target.

As for how he’s done so far, Barkley said, “There could always be better throws. You try to be perfect. I think I’ve done a fair job.”

Barkley’s best session open to the media was his first one two weeks ago. His last two have been more inconsistent, with less decisiveness in terms of when to release the ball quickly or throw it away in Kelly’s hurry-up attack.

Still, Barkley believes he’s capable of being the Eagles’ starting QB this season.

“It’s a new challenge and I think I work best with challenges when I’m pushed and you have something to work for,” Barkley said. “It keeps you motivated. That challenge makes you want to work harder.”